Strangled by the Red String
by Blue Quartz Foxy
Summary: Gakuen Den AU. For fairheartstrife. She's so entangled in his lies that it's getting harder to tell if Hinata is saving Sasuke from himself or if he's dragging her under.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Strangled by the Red String

Fandom: Naruto (Shippu Konoha Gakuen Den! AU- set after Sasuke willingly goes with Orochimaruko and Kabuko)

Pairing: Sasuke-Hinata overall, but sprinklings of other pairings and crushes here and there.

For: Holly (faintheartstrife) who requested some SasuHina angst

Disclaimer: I do not own rights to Naruto. All rights belong to Kishimoto, VIZ and other enterprises.

* * *

><p>"You're not going to stop me?"<p>

A right foot rocked back for a moment, hand clenched on the railing. She didn't turn around because the backpack on his shoulders said it all.

He was running away from home. Again. Hinata Hyuuga was starting to feel Sasuke Uchiha only performed his vanishing acts to invoke a reaction from his peers, parents or anyone really.

"No. You won't listen anyway" the girl replied.

"Hn, you're one step ahead of Sakura then. She's already cried on me and promised to follow…what an idiot."

"Stop it."

"Why? …it's not like you two are friends, so it doesn't matter if I bad mouth her."

Hinata turned around on the apartment staircase, "She loves you."

Sasuke snarled, "She's annoying." "She _loves_ you" Hinata repeated, stressing 'love' as if it should mean something to him.

"…why don't you come with me instead?"

Opal-colored eyes blinked slowly. This was a first. And it made Hinata wonder if he honestly did not plan on coming back. No. Sasuke would be back. It might take a few days, but he always showed up again.

"I…Sasuke I can't just…walk out without a reason." Hinata glanced to his stoic expression then to the straps along the teenager's shoulders. 'I'm not like you. I can't just walk away from my responsibilities.' Hinata mentally tacked on to her words.

"Figured that'd be your answer" Sasuke said before marching up the last step. Hinata ducked under his arm just before their lips could meet in a kiss. It wouldn't be right to reward him for bad behavior, so Hinata backed away and distanced herself from him.

She guessed from the way he smirked at her response that Sasuke had been expecting the brush off.

"I forgot to get Hanabi-chan a juice." Hinata mumbled, though wondering why she even bothered since they both knew the Hyuuga was a bad liar.

"I won't be here when you get back, so it's now or never." Sasuke told her.

"…alright." The girl tilted her head, projecting a smile because for all his melodrama, Sasuke was a good friend. They grew up side by side in the same corporate apartment complex. Went to the same nursery, elementary, middle and now were in Konoha Gakuen together.

"Goodbye then. Please text me sometime, so I can pass along word to your family."

Sasuke raised a hand, but didn't verbally affirm a promise to keep in touch.

'He'll be back.' Hinata said to herself after she turned a corner to a drink machine, losing sight of Sasuke in the process.

Yet there was a little whisper in the back of her mind, 'But what if he doesn't return?'

* * *

><p>"Hinata-chan"<p>

At first she didn't hear anyone calling her name. Instead, Hinata was focused on the scene unfolding outside the window. Naruto had just been discharged from the hospital yesterday, still banged up and bandaged and walking in on crutches.

There was a rumor going around he was looking for Sasuke Uchiha and ran into some trouble with a yakuza gang. In the courtyard below, the blond was projecting a smile so wide and effervescent it looked painful and forced. Yet, Hinata felt she was the only person who noticed the change…

"Hinata!"

She jerked as someone abruptly invaded her space by placing hands down on Hinata's desk.

"Glad I got your attention." Ino said while smiling. She pulled up the desk chair in front of Hinata and turned to sit facing the violet-haired girl.

"Listen, I need a favor. Can I walk home with you today?"

A series of slow blinks followed, because Hinata didn't understand how walking home together would be considered a 'favor'. Then she recalled the apartment complex was high security, so if Ino had business there she'd need to register as a visitor and it would be a hassle if she went in alone.

'Why would Ino-chan want to go to my building though?' Hinata asked herself. Then she saw the stack of notes and homework left on the blonde's desk.

Sasuke's missed work. Hinata held her tongue in dispelling Ino's assumption that he'd be home to accept the homework.

'Sasuke is Sasuke. He'll turn up again when he's ready.' Hinata thought, yet couldn't say because it would lead to awkward questions about her relationship to Sasuke. They kept their friendship quiet around school and rarely talked to one another, unless it was at the housing complex because of girls like Ino; who were so sure they were destined to be Sasuke's girlfriend.

While all of this was running through her head, Hinata nodded and vocally replied with, "Sure. You can walk home with me…"

"And Sakura too?" Ino blurted out. A long pause spaced out the request and Ino's explanation.

The blond leaned in and whispered. "Look, she needs something, Hinata-chan. Some kind of hope he's not gone for good, so just let us walk with you to his place and drop off the homework. That's all I ask."

"…o-of course Sakura-chan can come along." Because Hinata knew how terrible it was to wait forever while feeling uncertain where one stood.

In fact, Hinata glanced back to the courtyard where Naruto was laughing with his circle of friends while they tried to mark up his bandages and arm sling. The blond-haired boy spotted her looking through the window. He waved and smiled, so in return Hinata offered a shy wave of her hand then ducked down.

Today marked a two month landmark since their first and, so far, only date. And for being so friendly to her in classes, Naruto had yet to call her back.

So yes, she could empathize with what Sakura was going through.

* * *

><p>Mikoto Uchiha smiled tiredly when she opened the door to three girls, although she only recognized one.<p>

"Hinata-chan, it's good to see you" she said as the girl bowed then introduced her compansions.

"Sorry to intrude, Mikoto-san" Hinata said sincerely because the mother looked like she had been through Hell already.

Understandable since Sasuke had been missing for five days and his 'disappearing acts' were always the worst on Mikoto-san because she loved him so much.

Behind Hinata's back, Ino and Sakura exchanged looks. In the end Ino shrugged, obviously since Hinata and Sasuke lived in the same building they knew each other's parents, no big deal.

Sakura's expression spoke volumes as to how much 'bullshit' she thought that to be, but decided to reserve her judgment as Sasuke's mother invited them inside for tea.

"Oh no, we couldn't impose…"

"Thank you so much, Uchiha-san" Ino piped up above Hinata. As the girls stepped inside and took of their shoes, Hinata was shocked when Ino winked and held a finger to her lips before wandering down the hallway.

"W-wait…Ino-chan…" Hinata hissed as the blonde opened a bedroom door. Sakura had followed Mikoto-san into the kitchen, so it was Hinata awkwardly standing in the hall while Ino snooped around Sasuke's empty bedroom.

"I'm so glad you three came by. I was worried Sasuke would fall behind, but I really don't know anyone working at his school to ask for a teacher to drop off his homework."

Sakura smiled a little, "Think nothing of it, Uchiha-san. We…we're all worried about Sasuke."

"It's nice…I suppose. I know Sasuke can be difficult and has trouble making friends, so I'm glad his classmates think enough to look out for him. …even when he does this…" Mikoto stopped talking for a moment, putting the prepared kettle on.

Green eyes blinked owlishly, "Sasuke…has run away from home before?"

Mikoto nodded solemnly. "Yes, ever since Itachi died, he sometimes takes off for a few days at a time. …saying he has gone looking for Itachi."

Shocked, Sakura managed to ease herself down in a chair. She…had no idea Sasuke had a brother. Well…a dead brother.

"They were so close as children, so naturally Sasuke had some… issues letting go." Mikoto sat down beside the pink-haired girl at the kitchen table. "But, I honestly thought he'd grow out of this habit by now."

* * *

><p>After Hinata managed to wrangle Ino out of Sasuke's bedroom, she pinned the blond with a look Ino would almost call a 'glare', but that was insane. Hinata-chan didn't have a mean bone in her body, so glaring should be physically impossible for her.<p>

Once she was seated, with a hot cup of tea in front of her; Ino couldn't help but notice how comfortable Mikoto-san was around Hinata-chan. A glance to Sakura told Ino she wasn't the only one suspicious.

It reached a peak as they prepared to leave, Mikoto-san took Hinata-chan aside. Ino leaned out from the hall and happened to catch part of their conversation.

"…no, not yet Mikoto-san. I'll let you know the minute he contacts me though."

The dark-haired housewife smiled then, in surprising move; leaned forward and hugged Hinata.

"Thank you. I know Sasuke trusts you, so please keep trying to get ahold of him…try to get him to come home."

Hinata frowned, but in the end nodded and promised, "I will."

'…something fishy is going on.' Ino thought when Hinata rejoined them and saw her and Sakura to the gate of the complex.

* * *

><p>Notes: A bit confusing right now, but I promise things will clear up with more installments. Thanks for reading…and I hope this fits in your angst requirement Holly. If not I'll try harder next time.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Strangled by the Red String

Fandom: Naruto (Shippu Konoha Gakuen Den! AU- set after Sasuke willingly goes with Orochimaruko and Kabuko)

Pairing: Sasuke-Hinata overall, but sprinklings of other pairings and crushes here and there.

For: Holly (faintheartstrife) who requested some SasuHina angst

Disclaimer: I do not own rights to Naruto. All rights belong to Kishimoto, Shouen Jump VIZ and other enterprises

* * *

><p>"Sasuke-chan!" a falsetto voice trilled across the train station. For a moment the young man twitched in annoyance and disgust. His gaze raked over the dark haired 'girl', who had the look of a schoolgirl down pat…save for 'her' prominent Adam's Apple and unshaved legs. The white-haired 'girl' wasn't a much better sight either, 'her' jaw line was much too strong to be anything remotely feminine.<p>

From a distance, they passed for a decent looking pair. However, Sasuke had the misfortune of seeing them up close and personal for almost a week now, so he could easily spot things make-up and high voices couldn't cover up.

Again, the teenage boy asked himself if he really want to get mixed up with this shameless pair.

'They know where Itachi is.' Sasuke reminded himself before paying for his bullet train ticket.

After boarding the train, Sasuke rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a new cell phone. Since his father worked with the district police force, Sasuke knew Fugaku Uchiha would attempt to put a trace on the old cell phone number.

Thus, Sasuke purchased a cheap phone and a pre-paid card with cash before moving on to another district. For all his efforts to keep his whereabouts a secret, Sasuke was tempted to call someone.

Staring at the phone in his hand, the boy knew the number by heart yet hadn't keyed it into the new cell.

"Aww, is Sasu-tan feeling homesick already?" a sickly sweet voice whispered into his ear. Without a thought, the boy backhanded the pervert who licked his earlobe.

"Cut that shit out" he groused. "I said I'd go with you. That does not give you the green light to harass me."

Orochimaruko giggled in response. "Sasuke-tan is so tense. I think you could do with some loosening up…" with that 'she' made a dive for the boy's cell phone.

"What the…give that back!" The 'girl' squealed and bounced up and down, elbowing the passengers packed in around them like sardines.

"I'll talk to your Mummy for you, Sasu-tan and let her know you're in good hands…"

People on the crowded train started looking their way, glanced away in shame at the ruckus they were kicking up, but then reverted back as a cry was heard.

Orochimaruko whimpered while rubbing 'her' sore right check from Sasuke's slap. "S…so mean" the raven-haired 'girl' complained as a red mark formed on pale skin.

"Stop touching my things." Sasuke bit out, shoving the phone into his back pocket. Obviously he wasn't going to get anything accomplished with this person hovering around. He'd have to wait to call her.

* * *

><p>Her phone started vibrating on Hinata's desk in the middle of Kakashi-sensei's lecture. Jolting wide awake, Hinata discreetly place the cell under her desk and turned it on. A text alert from an unfamiliar number appeared on the display, so the girl hesitated to reply right away.<p>

Thumbnail hovered over 'delete' at the last second she clicked 'accept' and pressed 'open'.

'I'll call you at 8'

Underneath the brief message was 'Uchiha S'. Unable to prevent it, Hinata felt a smile come to her lips. At last, she was starting to wonder if there was something wrong and when Hinata had tried to reach his cell, the number was out of service.

Before Shino came along her row to pass out homework papers, Hinata tapped back a quick response.

* * *

><p>Sasuke stared at the ceiling, scowling at the noises coming from next door. Sure 'love hotels' were cheap shelter, but the boy was starting to wonder if Orochimaruko had ulterior motives for bringing him to these seedy places.<p>

Just as he was about to bang on the wall and tell the 'idiots' to shut the hell up, Sasuke's cell phone came to life with a buzz.

Snatching it from the table, he quickly read over Hinata's message.

'I'll be waiting. Please stay safe.'

Hinata

For a moment, he wanted to keep the exchange going and remind Hinata she didn't need to worry so much. They were staying in Kyoto for a short while, so he could take up some part-time jobs while avoiding being caught by people who knew the Uchiha family. And as for his own safety, hadn't Sasuke already proven his mantle against that loud Yakuza boss wannabe?

Unfortunately, that assertion brought back a bad memory. The blond-haired boy staggered to get up, slipping on little pools of his own blood while Sasuke discarded the knife. It was one of the worst experiences Sasuke had been through and he only had himself to blame.

Naruto was standing in the way of his goal of finding Itachi, but at the same time Sasuke was terrified he had fatally injured the other boy. Scared yet unable to call an ambulance or the police without getting found out and landing in the middle of something more serious than being a runaway, Sasuke escaped from the abandoned building.

Presently, Sasuke felt his throat tightened, bile threatening to rise up because for one moment he wondered what Hinata would have thought if Sasuke admitted to gutting the boy she had a crush on.

'She won't find out. Naruto is an idiot but whatever his reasons he thinks I'm his best friend. He won't tell anyone what happened.' Sasuke told himself. And that made his guilt double over and increase the nausea.

He opened the drawers only to find nothing but silver-foil condoms. Then again, with glance around at the garish red, pink and purple decorations and oversized bed confirmed it was indeed a love hotel; what else did he expect?

Giving up on finding something to settle his stomach, Sasuke breathed deeply before collapsing back on the bed (trying not to think about how many couples had fornicated on the exact piece of furniture). He was determined to sleep off that bad memory.

He wasn't fooled though. The recollection would go away for a little while, but in reality Sasuke was well aware Naruto's pained and shocked expression would linger for a long time.

"I can't go back" he realized.

* * *

><p>After the text message Hinata was full of nervous energy, wishing the school day to go by faster. Then dinner was a lengthy affair, so was bath time. And homework stretched into eternity, which stopped at seven o clock and refused to move beyond a snail's pace.<p>

At last, the digits on her desk clock changed to eight o clock. For the first two minutes she watched the phone. Waiting and hoping it would ring soon, Hinata thought maybe if she wasn't looking at it and focusing on her homework something would happen.

Although she wasn't one to automatically assume the worst, Hinata couldn't help but worry as minutes ticked by until time slipped into the next hour. After nearly falling asleep while re-reading study material, Hinata was mildly spooked as her father walked by and tapped on her bedroom door.

"It's eleven Hinata, go to sleep" he said. Hesitantly, the girl turned off a desk lamp and put her work away into a school bag. Once she had changed and climbed into bed, Hinata kept a silent vigilance over her phone.

Midnight was punctuated with frequent forward lulls of her head and quick jerks back into consciousness, yet whenever she checked to make sure there wasn't a missed call, the display was empty.

Anxious to hear from him, anything at this point, Hinata bit the bullet and called the new phone number.

Heart hammering in her throat, Hinata sat upright in bed and tried to compose herself, sounding hysterical or accusing Sasuke of anything would do little to help the situation.

"Moshi Moshi"

Hinata blinked in the darkness. That…didn't sound like Sasuke.

"Um…I'm sorry but is Uchiha Sasuke able to come to the phone? Please t-tell him this is Hinata and I want to talk with…"

"Oh, you want to talk to Sasuke-kun? He's incapacitated at the moment" the unfamiliar voice said then a chuckle was heard from the other line.

"But I'll let him know you called."

"Thank…" the other person hung up abruptly, "…you."

* * *

><p>Sasuke spat out blood on the concrete floor, while standing across from was a grinning boy with limp silver-colored hair. In his hands was a lead pipe already bearing streaks of red to accompany the rust marks.<p>

In the shadows a crimson haired female observed the fight. She cast a supcious glance to Kabuko's return.

"What was that all about?" she asked.

The gray-haired 'doctor' shrugged, "Wrong number. How's Sasuke fairing against Suigetsu-kun?"

"So far? Poorly. Such a shame too since he's got a cute face. At this rate it's going to get pounded in."

Kabuko smirked a little too smugly for the girl's liking. To her it looked like he not only expected Sasuke to fail this initiation test, but was eagerly looking forward to it.

'Wonder what he's got up his sleeves.' Karin pondered, while below them Sasuke blindly scrambled out of the way of another swing of a lead pipe.

* * *

><p>Notes: More characters are coming into play. Sorry for the lack of Sasuke and Hinata interaction, but this is just the process of building up the plot. Don't worry though the pair will get their spotlight time soon.<p>

Thank you so much for the nice reviews, alerts, and faves for the first chapter. I'm ecstatic at the interest expressed in this story so I'll do my best not to disappoint.


	3. Chapter 3

Strangled by the Red String

Chapter Three

_Six weeks earlier…_

The heat of the afternoon sun was cut in half when the shades were pulled down, but Sasuke still kept an electric fan going on his desk. The artificial breeze fluttered and bent pages of their summer homework, but not strong enough to do any damage. Hinata took a sip of water before turning back to the chocolate ice cream stick, socks and guest slippers abandoned on the floor in front of her seat in the desk chair. Unable to stand sweets, especially under such oppressive heat, Sasuke sucked and chomped ice cubes.

Yet, he couldn't help but feel a touch envious at hearing the euphoric little sighs from a girl indulging in frozen chocolate.

Leaning back on his bed, pillows cushioning the fall; Sasuke fished into the cup for another piece of ice.

"Sasuke…"

"Hm?" he hummed listlessly because even though he was born in the summer months Sasuke always felt lethargic when the temperature spiked.

Turning in her chair, opal-colored eyes looking at the young boy, Hinata spoke up about something weighing heavily on her mind.

"How long do I have to wait to hear from Naruto-kun?"

He crunched ice too hard, biting his tongue in the process. Sasuke recovered but not without a wince and sucking on his tongue to ease the sting. With a swallow Sasuke asked, "He still hasn't called you back after that date?"

Hinata shook her head. And Sasuke felt like pounding a certain Yakuza-wannabe idiot because no one had the right to make her look so heartbroken.

"I thought at first, well…it's a rule or something not to call right away after the first date. But…one day turned into two, then a week and now…I don't know."

Her shoulders slumped in defeat then Hinata tucked a strand of indigo hair behind her right ear, "Maybe this is his way of letting me down gently."

"Then he's a coward" Sasuke said bluntly. "If I went out on a date with you, I wouldn't give a damn about the 'don't call after a first date' rule." The boy stopped short of getting himself into unknown territory. Then changed the subject, "…and who said there are 'rules' to dating anyway?"

When Hinata shrugged, Sasuke rolled his eyes and wrote off this fictitious rule as yet another 'girl thing' Ino and Sakura were feeding her. It sounded like a load of bullshit to Sasuke. Why wait to tell someone your feelings?

'Yes…why wait?' Sasuke asked himself with a glance to Hinata as she put the remains of her ice cream treat in a bowl and turned to face the fan. She looked flushed and sweaty, hardly the 'dream girl' then again who could look like a movie star in this kind of weather…

"If he doesn't call two weeks from now"

Hinata turned her head back to face him. Sasuke suddenly felt like downing the whole cup of ice just to occupy his wayward mouth, not believing he was even thinking about being the rebound.

Still, she looked at him expectantly. Waiting. She was always kept waiting, always the patient one. So Sasuke told himself this wasn't about him. This was about Hinata, because she deserved to have someone romance her, rather than some idiot who went on one date and forgot about her.

This wasn't about his feelings at all. It was about her.

"We can…go out or something."

Hinata blinked, "But…we do go out already."

Sasuke wanted to toss an ice cube her way as punishment for being too dim. But lost the heart for it halfway through, 'Too hot' he thought before flicking the ice into his open mouth instead.

Once he swallowed, Sasuke tried again, "I mean like a couple."

She waited a beat. For a moment there was hope as comprehension started to dawn, then with a few words Hinata brought it all crashing down.

"No. It would never work" Hinata said with a slow head shake. "Besides, I couldn't use you to make Naruto-kun jealous. It wouldn't be right."

Sasuke worried the bite-spot on his tongue before countering, "I never said anything about doing it to make him jealous. I meant we could go out just because we'd want to."

Closing her text book, Hinata looked to him "Sasuke, I'm glad that you want to help make me feel better, but I don't think you dating me out of pity would work either. It might hurt our friendship in the end…actually."

'Do I have to spell it out to you?' Sasuke thought with a moody glare Hinata missed seeing as she turned back to face the desk.

He tried to think of ways to angle in, without sounding desperate or actually spitting out a request for Hinata to become his girlfriend; however within the hour their study session was over.

"I have to pick up Hanabi-chan from swim class" Hinata began as she put away papers and books and pulled on her socks.

Sasuke uttered a grunt from his lounging spot on the bed, homework done and portable game device in his hands.

"I'll rinse this out before I go" she said, meaning the bowl in her hands.

"Don't bother, I'll get it later."

"Oh…thank you" Hinata said. She lingered in the room after putting the bowl back on the desk. Something felt wrong…ever since Sasuke brought up the possibility of them 'dating' he seemed to go into shut down mode.

Bag shrugged on her right shoulder, Hinata walked over to the bed, sinking to her knees until Sasuke looked up from his game to pay attention.

"Are you angry at me?" she asked. "No." Hinata wrinkled her nose, a small frown, "You're a terrible liar, your tone of voice gets all…tight and curt when you lie."

Sasuke didn't dispute that claim, "Aren't you going to be late picking up Hanabi-chan?"

"I've got enough time for this" Hinata said as she leaned in to kiss Sasuke's right cheek, but stopped abruptly as he put a hand to her shoulder.

"Sasuke?"

"…we shouldn't do that anymore. We're not kids, Hinata."

"But…" she paused as Sasuke rose up from leaning on the bed. The way he looked at her, Hinata honestly couldn't put a name to it. All she knew was that he didn't look angry despite pushing her away.

"The next time you kiss me, I want you to mean it."

"I always mean it" Hinata replied promptly. And she did. Sasuke was her dear friend. He helped her weather the death of her mother. Then in turn she was the only one who still talked to Sasuke when everyone called him 'crazy' for believing Itachi was still alive. She always meant every word and gesture of comfort, so why was he pushing her away now?

Gray eyes rolled. "Forget it" Sasuke grumbled before turning back to his game. Feeling a little hurt by his rejection, Hinata stood up and moved to leave Sasuke's bedroom.

"Hinata…"

She stopped at the door, half expecting an apology only to remember just who she was dealing with. Sasuke Uchiha never apologized for anything.

"Yes?"

"Call him instead."

Instantly a pink blush crept up along her cheeks and neck, "I…I couldn't…wouldn't know what to say."

"How about 'why haven't you call me, idiot? Did you drop your phone in a toilet and accidently flush it?'"

Hinata hardly thought that would be a fitting ice breaker. Yet, if Sasuke was rooting for her to pursue Naruto, maybe there was hope after all.

"Okay, I'll give it a try. Thank you for letting me come over, Sasuke."

Once the door closed, Sasuke dropped the pretext of paying attention to the game anymore, placing the device to the floor.

"…idiot. Why even encourage her to try?" the raven-haired boy grumbled. However, the answer was simple.

He wanted Hinata to be happy and to have things go her way for once.


End file.
